Three of Wands Tarot Card Meanings & Combinations

Suit Element: Fire, male active energy

Keywords and Phrases: Small success, initial goals realised.

Three of Wands Tarot Card Meanings:Notice how the same man from the Two has progressed into the well-dressed merchant we find in the Three of Wands. The two wands now stand behind him to represent the work he has accomplished and he holds the third forward, as he looks out to his ship on the horizon.

The Three of Wands brings good progress where initial goals have now been realised, the duality of the Two creates the third force of energy now made manifest. For some, this card suggests the involvement of others but I use the Two to indicate collaboration and business partnership, although the Three of Wands can represent trade and commerce.

Although the Three is a good card it is still quite a low number and so it generally brings small success, it’s not in the same league as The World, for instance, but still, “great oaks from little acorns grow.” Plans start to gain traction and momentum with this card and the first steps of success create the enthusiasm and excitement to build upon further goals for the future; a card of enterprise and forward planning.

If reversed or ill-dignified, similar to the Two, it can indicate setbacks or difficulty manifesting your goals, problems with trade agreements.

Associations:Similar or supporting cards: A number of threes generally add to the mood, although more by way of supporting than similar: Three of Cups (celebrating) Three of Pentacles (mastery) The Empress (fruitful success) The World is more the end result, with the Three of Wands a smaller stepping stone.

Opposing or contradictory cards: Four of Cups (apathy), Eight of Cups (abandoning plans) Death and Ten of Swords would bring a halt to progress.

Three of Wands Tarot Card Combinations:

> The World: Larger scale success follows quickly.

> Six of Wands: progress with recognition, possibly promotion.

> Seven of Cups: small success brings choices but make future goals realistic or else they could dissipate.

> Hanging Man: initial progress may be difficult to build upon, suggests a lengthy wait following a good start.

> The Hermit: consider your next steps very carefully, take your time.

> Ten of Wands: What starts out well could become a burden or over ambitious, particularly when accompanied with The Emperor central (Three of Wands > Emperor > Ten of Wands)

Two of Pentacles> Ace of Pentacles > Six of Pentacles: stock market, stocks and shares, currency investing, precious metals, etc. (The Magician, Justice, Hierophant, or The Emperor may also feature with the stock market). Depending upon the interpretation you use, Three of Wands (trade and commerce).

You'll find more information to help you in Easy Tarot: Learn to Read the Cards Once and For All! book and card set.​Available from bookshops, Llewellyn, Amazon.com, & UK.

Material provided here is in addition and complementary to the kit. Copyrighted material displayed with permission of Llewellyn. Please see my notes regarding combinations and reversals on the main index page. ​ ​